Patience is a virtue that I have yet to master and no one expresses the agony better than Tom Petty (forget 90's boy bands and the Spice Girls, my parents raised me on classic rock). The last five months have been a slightly painful yet brutally necessary crash course in patience. I'm about to enter a word where the pace of life and my ability to control every minute of it will be drastically different, so this transition period has been a chance to focus on being present in each and every moment.
As tough as it's been to watch from the sidelines as my friends dive into their exhilarating post-college lives while I'm counting down the days until my adventure starts, I can't complain too much about my life since May. My parents graciously opened their new Houston home to me and they've proven to be pretty cool roommates who keep the fridge stocked with hummus and are always down for a game of cribbage. Besides the alleged driveway incident when Mom's car was backed into Dad's car, my presence has brought my parents great joy.
Living rent-free above the garage has its benefits - unpaid internships are no longer totally uneconomical! I spent two days a week at The Nature Conservancy working in their philanthropy office and two days a week at the United Nations Association Houston Chapter helping plan advocacy, education, and fundraising events. Rubbing elbows with people who love the environment and people who love international relations made the lack of pay checks completely worth it. TNC sent me out to a nature preserve for two days and I finally lived up to my central Illinois roots and made my father proud by learning how to change oil, repair machinery, and drive a tractor; unfortunately, the tractor was a Deere, which resulted in a stern look of disapproval and a lecture about how Caterpillar paid for my braces in seventh grade (I may have exaggerated that a little).
I also was really busy babysitting, tutoring, and home-schooling. I kept questioning why any parent would entrust their child's education to me before realizing that my official job title for the next two years is teacher. Oops.
We had a two week Jesuit Volunteers Corps orientation in Boston in July and then two college roommates and I spend some time in Switzerland and Italy. My family traveled to Turkey and Greece together in September which was really exciting because it was the last time all four of us would be together for at least a year! I was lucky enough to have grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles come and visit throughout the summer and fall and, finally, I got to make one more trip up to Georgetown for Homecoming. Whew!
When I look at all the experiences I had during these past five months - the quality time spent with friends and family, the chances to travel, the learning opportunities at two great organizations, and the relaxing moments with my parents - it no longer seems like I was just "counting down the days until my adventure starts." I guess I'm starting to figure out what it means to be present in the moment and how to take advantage of every opportunity in front of me and make the most of everything, even living with my parents in Houston for five months. I've learned to be patient not just to save myself the agony of waiting, but because amazing things may come along when you least expect it.
But, now that I'm 12 hours away from getting on the plane, the waiting is finally over and I'm stuck wishing time would slow down a little, at least long enough to triple check my bags and say goodbye to my dog. The next 26 months will be a crash course in patience, transitions, Spanish, and simple living - but, after five months on waiting, I'm just about as prepared for this as I'll ever be.
Here I go!
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